Space Projects On Hold

May 15, 1986

Hubble Space Telescope -- A $1.2 billion instrument that will enable scientists to peer seven times deeper into the universe was originally scheduled for launch from a shuttle in October. The mission is tentatively rescheduled for March 1988.

Galileo -- The $133 million spacecraft was to have been launched from a shuttle this month on a $900 million mission to investigate Jupiter and its moons. Launch is not expected until December 1987.

Ulysses -- Also originally scheduled for release from the shuttle this month, the deep space probe is designed to make the first orbit around the sun's poles. Launch tentatively reset for August 1988.

Long Duration Exposure Facility -- This platform carrying 57 experiments was left in orbit by a shuttle in April 1984 and was to be retrieved a year later.

No retrieval date is now set, and most of the overexposed experiments will have little or value when returned to Earth.

Spacelab -- At least four missions of the European-built laboratory have been postponed indefinitely. The module, which fits in the shuttle cargo bay to give scientists a shirt-sleeve environment for experiments, was to be used to study the sun and how weightlessness effects humans and to do other life sciences research.

Space station -- Twelve to 15 space station experiments were planned to be conducted over the next three years but now are off indefinitely and may never be done. They were designed to test the technology needed to build the space station. Earth-bound tests may now be substituted.